Home of Ukrainian Eurovision entrant destroyed in Russian attack
The home of Khrystyna Starykova, the Ukrainian entrant in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, has been destroyed in the country’s ongoing war with Russia.
The 19-year-old singer is currently preparing for the music competition in Switzerland with her band Ziferblat, but posted pictures of her home in the city of Myrnograd, reduced to rubble, on her Instagram Stories on May 5th.
The caption, written in Ukrainian but translated to English, said: “Home. And I dreamed so much of returning home,” with a video showing the building billowing in smoke and its windows blown out.
However, Starykova added: “Fortunately, all my relatives and friends are alive and well”. She promised to still perform over the next week at Eurovision “for the sake of our country” because “[I want] to show what a strong people we are.”
In an interview regarding the incident with Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne on May 6th, Starykova revealed that, unfortunately, the destruction of her home was somewhat expected as “four months ago, my grandmother lost her home – it was just such a big hole”. She added: “Then my aunt lost the roof over her head.”
Starykova continued: “I understood that maybe I could be the next one and, unfortunately, it happened. It’s very terrible news. I had really hoped to go back.”
In another Instagram Stories post, the singer shared more footage of the destroyed streets of her city, recalling: “I always went home from vocal lessons this way. It was my favourite way home.”
Starykova’s band Ziferbalt will perform ‘Bird of Pray’, which tells the story of Ukrainians who have been separated from their loved ones by the war with Russia.
The Eurovision Song Contest final will take place in Basel, Switzerland on May 17th.
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